The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has dismissed as fake a viral post circulating on social media claiming that over two million “ghost voters” will be expunged from the electoral register ahead of the 2027 General Election.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Commission flagged the post as false and misleading, warning Kenyans to disregard the content, which also falsely announced a voter register cleanup exercise allegedly led by a new chairperson.
“The Commission currently neither has a Chairperson nor Members of the Commission. Therefore, any information circulating on social media is null and void,” IEBC stated.
The viral post had claimed that the newly appointed IEBC Chairperson, Erustus Ethekon, had assumed office and was spearheading the purge of ghost voters, with Kiambu County allegedly leading in the number of irregular entries, followed by Meru, Nairobi, and Nyeri counties.
“We will remove over 2 million ghost voters from the register before the 2027 elections,” read the fake message, which included a fabricated quote attributed to the alleged chairperson.
But in its response, the IEBC reiterated that no official communication regarding voter register audits has been made and urged Kenyans to verify electoral information only through its verified channels.
“We urge Kenyans to treat such posts with the contempt they deserve and to verify information through our official platforms,” the statement added.
While President William Ruto appointed Ethekon as the new IEBC chairperson on June 10, alongside six new commissioners through a gazette notice, they have yet to assume office.
Their swearing-in remains on hold after the High Court issued conservatory orders barring their installation, pending the hearing of a constitutional petition challenging the legality and transparency of the appointment process.
The Commission has been operating without substantive leadership following the exit of former Chairperson Wafula Chebukati and two commissioners in early 2023.
